


This is Home

by Tanith3003



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Romance, soft stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25811809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tanith3003/pseuds/Tanith3003
Summary: Abeela is plagued by strange dreams of her homeland. becoming increasingly homesick as they go on. Ursula decides to cheer her up.
Relationships: Apprentice/Apprentice (The Arcana)





	This is Home

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Fields of Vesuvia gift exchange, for @sad-arcana-au on tumblr! The lovely Abeela belongs to her.

The first thing Abeela saw when she opened her eyes was Ursula's face, shrouded in the cold breath of a new morning. She looked so serene like this - eyes closed, skin seeming almost entirely black in the morning light, face half burrowed in her pillow and the faint ghost of a smile dancing on her lips. "She must be having pleasant dreams" - Abeela thought to herself. However, not even her lover was able to relieve her insomnia.  
It was early, but she's been having trouble with sleep in the past week. She would sleep for a few hours but always awake at the break of dawn, unable to sleep again. For some reason, as her birthday inched closer, she started feeling a tug in her heart that kept pulling her up, to North, to Prakra. Call it homesickness or simply loneliness, but since the memories she had left of her homeland resurfaced, they've been dancing in her head all the time. Sometimes they were subtle, and sometimes intrusive, like now. She remembered the street she grew up on, the view she had from the hill in the outskirts of her town, the smell of fresh pastries and sparkling sea. Those bits and pieces had a distinct taste of longing. Abeela wasn't exactly happy about it, but it wasn't enough to knock her off her balance. She knew what to do.  
She snuck out of bed, careful not to wake Ursula up - she was a light sleeper. Silent as a mouse, she threw on yesterday's clothes and headed out. Vesuvia in the morning was healing for her tired mind.  
As she walked the streets were silent but calm. It was too early for the market vendors to crawl out of their houses and start preparing for the day. The city was still sleeping - calm and seemingly undisturbed.  
When Abeela slept she would dream about Prakra - it's pleasant heat and rich arts, cheerful songs. But most prominent of all, she found, was the image of a field covered in all sorts of flowers, some of which she didn't remember seeing before. The flowers were of all possible colors, shapes, sizes, and spread as far as the eye could see. In her dream she would run through that field, somehow knowing that whatever blade of grass or flower she stepped on would immediately sprout back to life even more beautiful and strong. The joy of it was explosive in her chest as she laughed, running until she couldn't anymore. Then, she would fall on the soft grass and just stare at the sky, painted in shades of pink and orange by the young sunset. The stars above would dance and form incredible patterns with the clouds. As she lay there, wind ever so slightly swaying the flowers around her, Abeela would feel that this is a place where she belongs. It was such a bright and warm feeling that she would feel herself being on the verge of tears of joy. She felt at home. Yet, it never lasted. Every time she woke up she found a void in her chest, with a side of deep disappointment and an unpleasant feeling of missing something important. It bugged her. Not enough to knock her off balance, but it was disturbing. When she asked Asra about what her dreams could mean he didn't have much to say. Flowers were a good sign, and the dream itself was nothing but pleasant. But why did she feel so empty in the morning? The only sensible explanation was that she was simply homesick, but it did little to nothing for solving that problem.  
Abeela wandered Vesuvia, lost in thought. So much so, that she didn't notice how fast these two hours had passed, or how stubborn her stomach was with alerting her that she hasn't eaten yet. As the streets began to shake off the remnants of their slumber, she hurried home. Ursula was probably already waiting for her with a new baking idea at hand.

  
***

When Abeela came home the first thing she noticed was the flowers. Her favorite dreamy wisteria stood on the windowsill, soft violet flowers hanging from the pots. Ursula emerged in the doorway as soon as she heard Abeela's footsteps, smiling:

\- You're home Bebe!

\- Yes, I was just out for a walk. - Abeela answered, giving her a quick kiss - You brought new flowers I see.

Ursula's smile, as warm and precious as ever, seemed to be stuck to her face as if she couldn't control it.

\- What is it? - Abeela asked, confused.

\- I have a surprise for you, love. - she whispered.

Before she could ask any questions, Ursula was already leading her to their room. When she opened the door, Abeela's genuine amazement made itself known with a gasp.

\- I talked to Asra, - Ursula said - He told me about your dreams.

The room was littered with flowers. Not just any flowers - Prakran ones. Ultramarine blues and hot pinks, yellows and violets, even succulents from the particularly hot parts of her homeland... They were everywhere - on the floor and on all furniture that could hold them. Some were moving as if they were sentient, others giving out a faint glow. As Abeela took in the view before her, everything started to look more and more like the valley in her dream. She kneeled and picked up a delicate soft pink flower, vaguely resembling an acacia.

\- But... won't they die if left like this?

Ursula laughed:

\- Asra took care of it. They can stay like this for months, or at least until we find a place for them in our garden. - she hugged Abeela from behind, nuzzling her neck - I've also got seeds for us to plant.

Abeela felt her chest slowly fill with sweet joy and wonder. Then, she turned to Ursula. Her hands slowly cupped the face she came to adore since the very first weeks of their meeting. She stood there, taking in her dark skin, littered with freckles as if they were sprinkled on by the hand of some God, dark brows, plump lips, and kind, golden eyes that always seemed to have a warm and welcoming flame in them. Abeela's hand lowered to her neck, her shoulder, and down her arm, finally stopping when her fingers curled around the hand that held her so many times. Then and there, she realized something crucial - Ursula was here, with her, in their own little field of flowers. She did this for her because she loved her, and that in itself was enough to make her eyes fill with little tears of joy. When her lips touched Ursula's in a slow, loving kiss, it didn't matter where they were - Prakra, Vesuvia, far South or Nopal. All that mattered is the hands of her beloved florist holding her, her lips kissing her, and the warmth of her body next to hers when she fell asleep at night. 

\- Thank you. - Abeela breathed out into her shoulder.

Ursula held her tighter as if she was afraid that she would just disappear.

\- I love you, Bebe. - she whispered.

Abeela smiled and held her even closer.

\- I love you too.

What were colorful skies and endless fields in comparison to her? What were the most beautiful empires, mountains, rivers? Heaven? They were but a speck of dust in the gentle current of her love, an atom in the tide of her affection.  
Soon, Ursula and Bebe were in the kitchen, laughing and trying to conquer a new bizarre baking idea they came up with. As the breeze carried the smell of flowers and swayed the vines of wisteria on the windowsill, the only thing that Abeela could think of was how truly happy she was at this very moment. That happiness was collected in a single thought that kept echoing in her mind as her and Ursula's hands were kneading the fresh dough - "This is home."


End file.
